In a victory for people power, Hawai’i is about to become the first state in the nation to ban the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. The ban is part of a historic new pesticide regulation bill that had already passed the House, and on Friday, April 27, passed the Senate Conference Committee. The bill, after enormous opposition from

For too long certain politicians in Hawaii have stonewalled pesticide regulation typically arguing they have to protect the economic interests of small farmers across the state. It’s a myth, which has been exploded by new research by Autumn Ness, who is on the Hawai’i Center for Food Safety’s Advisory Board. “The small farmer argument is

Maui’s Senator Roz Baker was instrumental in deleting important mandatory pesticide disclosure and notification sections from the SB 3095 bill. The original bill was opposed by Monsanto, Alexander & Baldwin Co., and the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association. “It was Roz Baker who gutted the bill,” reports Autumn Ness, who is on the Hawai’i Center for

The fight against the harmful use of pesticides in Hawai’i has been a slow and strenuous battle. From birth defects reported on Kaua’i to the federal court overruling the SHAKA Movement-lead GMO moratorium, the battle against pesticides has been met with little, or at least not sufficient, legislative action. But, as of this

The state is finally taking some first steps to address concerns about pesticide drift from large agri-chemical company operations in Hawaii. In a joint press statement, the Hawaii Departments of Health and Agriculture described several initiatives recommended by the state/county sponsored Joint Fact Finding Group Report. Plans include a $500,000 surface water quality study (by

The environmental law firm, Earthjustice has asked the US Environmental Protection Agency to revoke the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s primary authority to investigate and enforce pesticide use violations of federal pesticide law in Hawaii. Earthjustice representatives say the HDOA has “failed to enforce pesticide use violations and has allowed a large backlog of pesticide complaints and

Hawaii’s governor has signed the Industrial Hemp Bill which establishes an industrial hemp pilot program through the Department of Agriculture allowing the cultivation of hemp and distribution of hemp seed in Hawaii for purposes of agricultural or academic research. Alexander and Baldwin Inc. (which owns massive acres of land) is considering planting hemp under its